Status of School Pools: An Update for May

In the month of April, there was a significant amount of discussion and activities regarding the future of school pools in the City.

As you may know, the Toronto District School Board decided last year that they must close 39 of its pools as a cost-containment measure. The outcry from Toronto residents was so great that the Board appointed a Working Group, lead by former Toronto Mayor David Crombie, to find alternatives to closing the pools. In March 2009, this group made a number of recommendations about how to reduce costs, increase revenues and improve the management of the pools.

The matter of school pools was discussed in the April meeting of the Community Development and Recreation Committee. For five hours, residents from across the City provided their perspective on the need to keep pools open. They also indicated their support of a motion that I introduced, asking for the City to participate in discussions with all stakeholders to find a creative funding solution. Unfortunately, the Committee decided to refer the matter to City staff, asking them for solutions that would not cost the City any money.

Shortly thereafter, the Provincial government decided to provide up to $15 million to keep the pools in a state of good repair but only if a solution was found to cover their operational costs. Of the 39 pools, 13 are able to self fund their operations. There are 26 pools however, that do not have a source of operational dollars. The Toronto District School Board yet again, requested assistance from the City to work together to find a solution for these unfunded pools.

In response to this situation, I presented a second motion, reiterating the importance of having the City come to the table to determine a solution for these pools. Most disappointingly, the motion was not supported at the April City Council meeting and the matter remains with City staff. Their recommendations are expected in June.